Do I Deserve You?
by WorkSmartNotHard
Summary: Can you really be the judge of how much you deserve? House/Cuddy.


"Damn it!"

House rummaged around his desk, cursing to himself. He couldn't for the life of him remember where he had left his medical journal. Opening and closing the drawers around him roughly, he made a mental note to never have Cameron re-organise his desk again.

Sighing in frustration he leant back in his chair and let his eyes scan his office. They fell on a small pile of journals stacked on top of his bookshelf. Getting up from his chair and grabbing his cane, House limped over to the shelf and reached up. The journals were just out of his arms reach.

Cursing the irrationality of Cameron, he looked into the adjoining office. None of his team were there. They were most likely running tests on their latest patient. House walked over to the corner of his office and retrieved the small step ladder that had been left there by her just an hour earlier.

Making sure that none of his team were coming down the hallway, he set the step ladder up next to the bookshelf and leaned his cane next to it. Gripping the sides hard, he pulled himself up onto the ladder, putting most of his weight on his good leg.

Wincing in pain as he ascended the ladder, he briefly wondered if reading this journal was worth it. He reached up once again and grabbed the small pile of journals. Once he had them he stopped moving, catching his breath. The short climb had strained his muscle and pain was shooting up and down his leg.

Slightly thankful that none of his team were around to see him in this state, he threw the journals onto his desk and planned his descent. Waiting a moment for the pain to subside, House hesitated before moving his good leg down towards the lower step when he suddenly heard his office door swing open.

"What are you doing?"

House closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them and turning his head. Cuddy was standing in the doorway, staring at him.

The pain reaching a high point, House snapped at her. "What does it look like I'm doing? God Cuddy, talk about useless questions."

Brushing away the sting from his harsh tone, she moved closer towards him. She could tell he was in pain. House turned his head away from her. He couldn't bear to see the pity in her eyes. He wondered what to do. He wasn't particularly thrilled about the prospect of climbing awkwardly down the ladder with her watching him but he couldn't stand here all day.

He lowered his foot down again let it rest against the step before putting his weight on it. He sucked in a breath as he brought down his right leg, the muscle screaming in protest as he bent his right leg.

With only one step left to go, House stood still on the ladder, willing the pain to go away when all of a sudden he felt a cool pressure on his leg and arm and his whole body immediately tensed. Looking down he saw that Cuddy had placed one of her hands on his leg, on the back of his thigh whilst the other rested just above his elbow.

"House…do you need help down?" She spoke softly, her voice laced with concern and some emotion that he couldn't pinpoint exactly.

For a moment House lost himself in the blue of her eyes as he gazed downwards but it was short-lived as the pain got the better of him again and he shrugged her hand off his arm roughly. She immediately removed her hand from his leg as well and moved back slightly.

"I'm not helpless," he growled at her, dropping his head downwards as he stepped off the ladder so that she wouldn't see his grimace of pain.

Eyes dark, Cuddy said quietly, "I never said you were, House. Even the best people need help sometimes –"

"Yeah yeah, spare me the sermon. Did you want something or did you just come here to annoy me?"

Once again Cuddy brought her eyes to meet his and he saw the hurt and sadness pooling in them. "No, it wasn't important. Wilson and I are having lunch later and I thought you'd like to join…" she trailed off before breaking eye contact and leaving the room.

House was left alone in his office and he limped heavily towards his Vicodin bottle that was sitting on his desk. He swallowed two pills, waiting for the pain to eventually subside under their influence, wishing they could relieve him of the guilt that had draped over him as he listened to the staccato click of her heels as she walked back to the elevators.

It looked like he was having lunch alone today.

House didn't know why he was here. He only knew one thing: he had lost Stacy twice before and was dangerously close to pushing Cuddy away in exactly the same way. He couldn't let that happen.

The guilt from their encounter earlier in the morning was still looming over him and he needed to clear it away. He knocked on the door in front of him with his cane and looked around as he waited. The driveway was bathed in moonlight and the lights inside her house were on, throwing stretches of light onto her perfectly kept lawn.

The door opened and Cuddy stood there, surprise in her eyes.

"House, what are you doing here?"

He let his eyes travel over her before replying. She was wearing a white short sleeved turtleneck and a black skirt that swayed around her legs. Her hair was flowing over her shoulders, white-jewelled pins pulling a few strands back from her eyes. She was barefoot. Something in the way she was standing showed him that she still remembered what had happened earlier.

"You look…" he cast around for a word that could describe all the thoughts running through his head but he couldn't bring up the courage to tell her "nice." He finished lamely.

Cuddy's eyes softened as she watched him. "Thank you. I have a dinner with some members of the Board in a while."

House wondered why a sudden wave of relief was washing over him. Then he realised that he had thought she was going out on another date. He looked down at her again as she watched him and he felt his heart twist as he saw the warmth in her eyes. He couldn't tell her what he had come to say.

"I don't deserve you," he almost whispered, turning abruptly and walking down the driveway towards his motorcycle.

Cuddy stood in the doorway, slightly shocked, her mind working furiously. All of a sudden, she called out to him. "House!"

He didn't stop but carried on walking and she left her doorstep, walking quickly over to him. He didn't stop walking until he felt the cool pressure of her hand on his arm for the second time that day. Only, this time he didn't push it away. Cuddy kept her grip on his arm as she moved in front of him.

Looking down into her face, he saw the question in her eyes. "House? You deserve _just _as much as anyone else." she said softly.

"Cuddy, don't," he said, looking down, unable to hold her warm gaze. "I can't make you happy."

Smiling, Cuddy placed her free hand on the side of his face and he tried not to lean into her gentle touch. "Do I look unhappy to you?"

He brought his eyes back to hers and saw her smile. They searched each others eyes, both looking for permission that had long been granted. Cuddy leaned forward first and House only hesitated for a second before lowering his head to meet hers.

Their lips met halfway in a soft kiss. Cuddy arched up onto her tiptoes to give him better access to her lips and made a stifled noise at the back of her throat as she felt his tongue run along the seam of her lips. As she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, House briefly wondered why his hands were not holding her and he dropped his cane, immediately placing them on her waist. However, her sweater had ridden up as she stretched towards him and his hands landed on her warm, soft skin.

At the feel of his hands on her skin, Cuddy's knees buckled and their lips lost contact for the briefest of moments before House's grip on her sides tightened possessively and he pulled her up and towards him. Their lips met again; this time roughly, both of them vying for dominance over each other and Cuddy wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged his head down even more, smiling against his lips as she heard him moan softly into her mouth.

The moment stretched on forever but not long enough and they broke the kiss at the same time, Cuddy's lips trailing from his and her head resting softly on his chest. She smiled widely again as she felt him lean his head on top of hers and wrap his arms around her in a strong embrace, his fingers tracing patterns on the small of her back.

"You know Cuddy," he mumbled into her hair, his voice rough with lust. "If that's what it takes to make you happy, we better not stop now."

Cuddy shook against him in silent laughter and leaned back in his arms, feeling completely secure. "With the amount of miserable that you are House, I think it's going to take a _lot_ more of this."

"Hey," he said, grinning as her hand slid to the back of his neck and clutched the short curls of his hair, pulling his head down again, "I'm not complaining."

**A/N: Please review if you liked it! Reviews make me happy. :D**


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